Cape Town - A young American sustained serious injuries when he fell about 20 metres while hiking up St James's Peak with two friends.
A Skymed helicopter was summoned and the rescue bid in Peck's Valley took nearly an hour and a half from when they first received a call, according to Wilderness Search and Rescue spokesperson Johan Marais.
The American, believed to be about 20 years old, had been hiking with two countrymen of a similar age at the time.
"We responded to a call around 6.38pm that someone was seriously injured while hiking up St James's Peak. The Skymed rescue helicopter, with a specialist trauma doctor and paramedic on board, landed near the injured hiker just after 5.30pm to provide him with assistance.
"The injured hiker was found unconscious left of Peck's Valley under St James's Peak and the whole procedure to stabilise and secure him and place him on a stretcher, and then fly him to Muizenberg High School, was completed at 6pm. From there he was flown to Groote Schuur Hospital."
No details are yet available on what led to the American falling down the mountain.